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Haslet council denies extra reduction to property owner27s water bill after leak
Summary
The Haslet City Council voted unanimously to deny any reduction beyond the Public Works department27s recommended adjustment for a $1,800 bill tied to an undetected leak on a pasture property; staff said the department27s standard is a 30% adjustment based on three-year averages but recommended a 52% reduction in this case.
The Haslet City Council on Oct. 21 rejected a request for an additional reduction to a water bill for property owner Brooke Schultz, who incurred an approximately $1,800 charge after an undetected leak ran for a month.
Staff from Public Works explained the department27s usual practice: average the same month over the prior three years, subtract that average from the current month and reduce the remainder by about 30 percent. Because Schultz had no prior usage history on the account, staff said the department applied an alternative calculation that resulted in a 52 percent reduction being offered. "In her case, she has no history whatsoever," a Public Works representative said during the hearing, noting the account was new and the leak ran at full capacity for a month.
Council members expressed concern about setting a precedent by exceeding the department27s standard. One councilmember said the three-year averaging method and the 30 percent reduction provide a clear, repeatable policy; another noted the financial hardship of an $1,800 bill but agreed the city should avoid ad hoc exceptions. The council subsequently moved to deny any further reduction beyond the department27s offer; the motion passed unanimously.
Staff also confirmed that the water department would absorb the cost of the adjustment and that the property owner has the option to pay the balance under a 12-month installment plan.
The council27s action leaves the Public Works reduction as the final city-approved adjustment; the matter closed with the council27s unanimous vote.
